Fire Of Unknown Origin
by Norah Rose
Summary: Dean and Cas spend some quality time searching for Sam. Plenty of cute friendship, not slash. Oh, and Gabriel's in it too. Enjoy!
1. The Plan

**Author's Note: This isn't exactly the first fanfiction I've ever written... but it is the longest and most complex. It'll flash to several characters throughout the story, but I feel like everyone can keep up. Expect lots of Dean/Castiel, Sam, and Gabriel. I love comments, like everyone else. Italics = and thanks for reading! Oh, and it's suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes. And I don't own any of this SPN greatness. I certainly wish I did!**

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**Dean and Castiel:**

Castiel peered out the window of the Impala as Dean drove silently beside him. Sam had been gone for a week, taking Bobby's car he had borrowed, and Dean hadn't said much since he had decided to go. Memories rushed into Castiel's mind as the trees outside the wind blurred by. He remembered the night clearly.

* * *

"_I can't stay here!" Sam said. He was yelling at Dean, his face blood red. "Dean, you don't get it. I'm done with all of this. I just can't do it anymore." _

_Dean stared at Sam in shock. "This is our life, Sammy. You can't just quit. Man, I know life is crap right now. Hell, things have never been worse. But the world, literally, depends on us. You can't run away now." _

_Sam paused for a moment before answering. "No, Dean… the world depends on you. I'm no help. I'm emotionally screwed up and I'm no help. I'm the bad guy. I mean, I'm the vessel for the freakin' devil. The farther away I am from you, the safer you'll be."_

_ "Sammy, we tried this already. I already know exactly how this ends. Lucifer gets you, I've seen it. Please don't make this mistake." Dean answered. _

_Sam shook his head, at a loss for words, and headed for the door._

_ Dean shouted at Sam as he walked out the door. "We're not gonna just let you go, Cas and me. We're gonna look for you." _

_Sam looked back at Dean, his eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, Dean. I just have to do this." _

_"We'll find you, Sammy." Dean replied, feeling helpless. "No Dean… you won't." Sam walked out the door. _

_Castiel watched the fight from the corner of the shabby motel. And later, when Dean's few tears had fallen, Castiel had tried to comfort him. He was new to human emotions, but when Dean had hugged him in that long, mournful hug Castiel felt what he fully understood to be sadness._

_

* * *

  
_

Castiel shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to pay attention to the present. Dean sat beside him, still silent. They were following a lead on Sam. Bobby wanted his car back and he had asked hunters around the country to keep a look out. The large, blue van was difficult to hide, and a hunter in North Carolina had called Bobby saying he'd seen it parked near a small motel. That's where Dean and Castiel where headed now. And Dean hadn't said one word since the left. Castiel knew and understood that Dean felt responsible, but the silence worried him. Even in the worst of times Dean was able to joke about his problems. Castiel had actually grown accustomed to Dean's nonchalant attitude, and now, he missed it.

"Dean, are you… ok?" Castiel said, trying to sound as caring as possible.

Dean glanced at him, cleared his throat, and replied. "Yea, Cas. I'm fine."

Castiel peered at Dean. He cocked his head to the side. "You're lying?" he asked, questioningly.

Dean chuckled a bit to himself. "Good catch. And quit doing that."

Castiel felt confused. "Doing what?"

"That head tilt thing you do. It's weird. You look like a puppy."

"Are puppies considered bad," Castiel asked, genuinely curious.

"No puppies are… Uh, they're cute." Dean laughed at himself.

This only confused Castiel more. "Why are you laughing? Are young dogs also considered funny?"

"No, Cas. It's just that I'm, uh, calling you cute. It feels a little odd. Ok, it feels like the weirdest thing I've said in a long time. Maybe forever."

Castiel nodded in understanding. "So you think I am cute."

Dean stopped laughing and glared at Castiel. "You trying to make me declare love here, Cas? Sure. Whatever you want. You're pretty cute." Dean, obviously feeling uncomfortable, reached to turn the radio up.

Castiel looked out the passenger side window. Dean Winchester certainly was a strange human. Nonetheless, Castiel was pleased. He assumed it was because he had helped Dean feel better. But deep down inside it was also because he had just been called cute by Dean. In this moment, Castiel felt content. They would find Sam and everything was going to be alright. Castiel was sure of this. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

* * *

**Sam:**

Sam Winchester sat on the bed of the cheap motel, feeling ashamed. He knew that leaving Dean and Cas the way he had was wrong, but it was his only option. He tried not to think of what they were doing. It was hard not to. Dean was probably pretty messed up, and Castiel was probably awkwardly attempting to comfort him. He wasn't sure they'd actually try to find him. In fact, he prayed they wouldn't.

Neither of them would approve of his plan and there was no need for them to be involved. Besides, Sam knew that they would do anything to stop him from doing something what Dean would call a "freakin' awful idea". Even Sam knew the idea was risky. Hell, it really was crazy. Gabriel was an angel, but not one that he trusted. Sam had known about "the plan" for a long time, and discovering Gabriel gave him the power he needed to accomplish it. Even Castiel was, or had been, powerful and Gabriel was like an angel on steroids.

Sam had thought of many ways to prevent Lucifer from getting him, but they all had major flaws. His first, and most simple thought had been offing himself. He decided that it would be too hard on Dean and besides, Lucifer would only bring him back. Creating, and living in a "panic room" was an option. But it seemed impossible to keep Lucifer away, even if he made the room as demon proof as possible.

It was a TV show that actually gave Sam the idea for the perfect plan. While channel surfing he had found a show about people with special abilities. One man had trapped another inside his own mind. It was a crazy idea, but Sam believed that Gabriel was capable of it. After all, he had trapped them in TV land and that seemed an easy task for him. The only problem Sam had was finding, and convincing Gabriel before Dean and Castiel tracked him down and stopped him. Sam was sure he could talk Gabriel into helping him. He could be very persuasive when necessary and this was obviously a big problem. Gabriel may say that he doesn't care who "wins", but he's an angel who enjoys toying with humans as a Trickster. He obviously didn't want Lucifer to win. Nobody liked demons, especially angels.

Being trapped in his own mind was, in Sam's opinion, the only way to keep Lucifer from his vessel. Sure, Lucifer could jump in his mind. But in a world that Sam controlled, how much damage could he really do? Sam was sure that he'd never say yes, but he didn't even want to have the option.

* * *

**Dean and Castiel:**

Dean and Cas stopped in a little town after over 6 hours of driving. Dean was exhausted and Castiel, well, he was just ready to get out of the tiny car. He felt confined. Dean stepped up to the desk in the cheap motel to get a room.

The woman standing behind the desk eyed them and smiled. "One room, king bed. Right?" She said, still smiling.

Dean shook his head and muttered to himself "You've gotta be kidding me." Then he spoke louder, to the woman. "Uh, no. We definitely need two separate beds."

The woman blushed and giggled awkwardly. "Oh, sorry! I thought you two were…"

"Yea, I know. We're not." Dean interrupted quickly, cutting her off. Dean got the keys and walked to the room. Castiel followed behind him.

When they got in the room, Dean laid back on one of the beds and Castiel stood awkwardly in the center of the room. "Dean, what did the woman at the front desk say about us?" Castiel asked, slowly.

Dean winced at his words. Castiel was always curious and Dean knew he would ask about the moment in the lobby. He had been dreading it. "She thought we were together." Dean said, simply.

Castiel nodded. "We are. I'm here and you're here. And we're traveling together." He was trying to be logical.

"No, Cas. That's, uh, not what she meant." Dean said, quickly.

"What did she mean?" Castiel asked, curiously.

"Um, like a… couple." Dean answered, awkwardly.

Castiel's face filled with sudden understanding and then shock. "Why would she think that?" He asked, quickly.

"Look Cas, I know you're innocent and angelic and all that crap, but come on. Do you really have to ask all these freakin' questions?"

Castiel pondered his thoughts for a moment. "I am merely trying to understand. I have betrayed my brothers. I am, stuck here for now. I would like to understand how humans think. Dean, I have done all of this for you. You should…"

"Ok enough!" Dean interrupted. "Will you stop trying to smite me with guilt, here?! The reason people think we're a…" Dean paused and shuddered, "couple, is because of the way we talk to each other, I guess."

"I do not understand." Castiel said.

Dean tried to clarify, without being too awkward. "The whole 'I did everything for you' thing. Most guys just don't talk to each other like that. At all."

Castiel cocked his head to the side. "I still do not understand. I did do this all for you, and Sam. We are… friends. Correct?"

"Yea Cas, that's right. We're just… closer than most."

Castiel finally began to understand. "Dean, it is understandable that we are closer than most. We have the closest bond that two people can have."

"Wow. That sounds, really gay. Whatever. What's this, uh, bond?"

"We have been to hell and back." Castiel replied, calmly.

Dean smiled slightly. "You know, you're right. Who cares what people think? Screw em'. Now I'm tired. I need to get some sleep."

Castiel sat down on the other bed, staring at Dean. "Goodnight." He said, still staring.

Normally Dean would be extremely uncomfortable with Castiel watching him through the night, but he was so tired that he barely noticed. Castiel stayed by Dean's side until about 2 A.M. Looking at him, he realized that they were lucky. Lucky to have each other.

* * *

**Gabriel:**

Gabriel, the archangel, sat alone in the small apartment where he was living. His life had become extremely dull since Dean, Sam, and their pet angel had made crazy threats against him. He had fallen deeply under the supernatural radar, and his life had been hella boring. He honestly was ready for the fighting to end. It was not entertaining sitting around, doing nothing all the time.

He was ready to start tricking some humans again. He enjoyed giving people what they deserved. That was just how he rolled. All this holy arguing really put a damper on the party though. He had considered helping Dean and Sam. Maybe things would end earlier if he did. Or maybe not. It was probably better to stay out of it all.

But he did like the Winchesters, especially Dean. The guy was cool, he had to admit and respect it. Honestly, he felt pretty bad for the brothers. They were… really screwed. They were stuck in the middle of the greatest war in the history of the planet. And it wasn't as if they deserved it.

Maybe he should help. Maybe he would. If one of them came asking for help… he would definitely think about it. He was pretty freakin' powerful, after all. He could get stuff done. But he wasn't about to reach and out help. If they needed him, they'd find him. He was an archangel. He had… more important things to do. With that thought, Gabriel flipped on the TV. Jerry Springer was on. Good stuff.

* * *

**Sam:**

"I'm sorry, sir. That is classified information."

"I just need to know the address. That's all. Then I'm gone." Sam Winchester had finally found a lead on the archangel, and now an annoying realtor was preventing him from following it. He was quickly becoming frustrated. Sure, the man was only trying to do his job, but finding Gabriel was of far greater importance than this man following rules and regulations.

Sam decided to try and convince the man one more time, reasonably. "Ok. Listen to me. The only thing I need to know is where this 'John Dean' lives. This is important. It is crucial to... to more people than you could ever guess. Please man, just do me a favor here. Look at the computer, give me the address, and I'll leave and pretend this never happened. I'm asking you nicely for the last time."

The realtor, who stood at least a foot shorter than Sam, eyed him with a smug smile on his rat-like face. "Is that a threat _sir_?" He asked, extremely sarcastically.

"Are you gonna give me the address?" Sam replied, calmly.

"Nope. Classified!" The realtor said, in a cheerful, yet somehow still rude tone.

Sam sighed and stepped toward the man. He hit him on the head and knocked him out cold before he could even yell. "Sorry." Sam said, stepping over the realtor. He definitely didn't mean it.

He sat down at the computer and searched throughout the records until he had found 'John Dean'. Sam shook his head, still surprised by the name. Gabriel; being witty even while using a fake name. The angel was a douche, but it really was impossible not to find him pretty smooth. Sam found the address and wrote it down. He glanced down at the realtor one more time before leaving. "I hope the prick has a headache." Sam thought, bitterly.

He rushed out the door and to Bobby's car. It would take a day or two to get to the angel. Sam had no idea why Gabriel would've asked this realtor, who obviously wouldn't know such a far off area to help. He had been trying to think of reasons all day. Maybe Gabriel had, or was planning to, pull some kind of prank on him. Sam had to admit, men like that realtor decided to be taught a lesson. Nonetheless, he had found the angel. He had found his ticket to freedom from Lucifer. Now all he had to do was convince Gabriel to help him. The plan was actually falling into place perfectly.


	2. The Fight

**Author's Note: Thank you all for reading so far! I'm trying to get this story out as fast as possible, but school keeps me busy. I'm sorry that the only "good" parts of this are Dean and Castiel; I just really, really love writing their parts. They're adorable and definitely my two favorites! Please don't attack for such a short chapter. I'm getting them done as quickly as I can! Thanks for reviewing as often as possible! Stay tuned for more! Love, Norah.**

**Dean and Castiel: **

Dean woke slowly the next morning to an empty room. It was 9:30, later than he would've liked to get going, and Castiel was nowhere to be found. Dean assumed he had gotten bored through the night and had poofed away to somewhere else. He started slowly towards the bathroom, stretching as he walked. After brushing his teeth, he sat back on the bed, debating whether or not to wait on Cas to get breakfast. Suddenly the spot beside him sunk down and Castiel was sitting beside him.

Dean glanced down and realized that Castiel was holding a bag of greasy breakfast food.

"I brought food." Castiel said dryly.

"Well, good morning to you too, sunshine!" Dean said cheerfully, reaching for the bag. "What'd you do all night, anyway? Watch me like a creep?"

"I did not just watch you sleep, Sam. I was busy." Castiel said slowly.

"Um, doing what exactly?" Dean asked, awkwardly.

"I was looking for Sam." Cas replied.

Dean's face filled with something that could only be described as worry. "Cas… don't, uh, don't do that anymore. That's not a one person job. You're gonna get yourself hurt, or captured or, I don't know… something." Dean said quickly.

"I was careful." Castiel replied simply.

"Doesn't matter, Cas. Something could happen and then what would I do?" Dean said, his voice raising a little.

Castiel looked at Dean with a confused expression on his face. "I do not understand. I am merely trying to be productive."

"Think about it, Cas. If you disappeared, I'd be lost! I wouldn't even know where to go, where to look."

"I am not incompetent, Dean. I am capable of protecting myself." Castiel replied, calmly.

"Look man, I just don't think it's a good idea for either of us to go off on our own. So do me a favor, and sit around here at night. Hell, watch some Oprah. I don't care." Dean replied, his voice rising still a bit more.

"Fine." Castiel said, in an extremely grumpy voice. He looked eerily like a small child, about to throw a temper tantrum. Sure enough, he continued speaking. In fact, Castiel seemed to be getting angry, which was something that Dean had rarely seen.

"I am unhappy with the way you are treating me, Dean. I am not a child. I am older and wiser than you, and you are acting like my elder. Sam is your younger brother, not me." Castiel stared at Dean after speaking.

Dean finally broke down and yelled at him. "Just don't freakin' go, Cas! Quit being a drama queen and agree! You know I'm right!" He screamed.

At this Castiel muttered something that sounded like "humans" under his breath and disappeared.

"DICK!" Dean screamed at the now empty room.

He then grabbed the bag of food Castiel had brought, sat back on the bed, and waited for Castiel to return from his temper tantrum. Thinking back on the "argument" almost made Dean laugh. He really was rubbing off on the angel, which was not necessarily a good thing. "Oh well." He thought, and finished his breakfast. Castiel was sure to show back up soon.


	3. Cows In Tuxedos

**Gabriel: **

It had been 3 weeks since Gabriel had moved into his most recent apartment and it was time to get moving. He was flying under the holy radar, but that didn't mean he was confident enough to stay in one place for long. After all, he was awesome, so obviously heaven and hell both wanted his help. He couldn't blame them.

Packing was always easy. A snap of the finger and everything was boxed up and ready to poof with him. Sometimes (all the time) being an angel had its perks. But North Carolina was a cool place. He would stay for at least another week. It was a good place for a "trickster".

There were lots of rolling fields, and with the fields came cows. Gabriel had taken a certain liking to cows. He had gotten in a crazy habit of decorating them and shocking the farmers that cared for them. It wasn't like he was hurting humans. It was completely innocent. He wasn't even hurting the cows. But seeing an old farmer's reaction to a cow wearing a tuxedo made him happy. And happiness was hard to find these days. Yes, he would miss North Carolina and its cows. Maybe he would move somewhere that had them. Or maybe somewhere with sheep? Sheep were good… Oh well.

Gabriel hadn't thought much of the Winchesters lately. This definitely helped increase his surprise when Sam showed up at his apartment the next day.

* * *

**Dean and Castiel:**

It was at least two hours until Dean saw Castiel again. He was lying on the bed, watching some cheesy made-for-TV movie when Castiel appeared in front of him. Dean saw that, once again, he was holding a bag of greasy food. This time, he also had a half eaten burger in his hand.

"Cas, still with the burgers?!" Dean joked, trying to disregard their fight earlier. He had found that joking around problems was easier than working through them.

Castiel was obviously not in the mood. He looked very solemn. He spoke in a determined voice. "I am sorry, Dean. I feel I may have overreacted earlier. I am new to…" Castiel stopped to draw a breath. "human emotions. I am not practiced at controlling them. I hope you will forgive me."

Dean looked shocked at Castiel's unexpected apology. "Look man, uh, don't worry about it. We both freaked out."

"But you were correct! Had the circumstances been reversed I would have reacted in the exact same manner." Castiel said, still staring at Dean with his crystal blue eyes.

Dean smiled a bit. "Loosen up, Cas. It's fine. No problamo. Over and done with. Consider it a memory, consider it the past. Consider it a frown in an old photograph!"

Castiel looked confused at his choice of words.

Dean was merely trying not to laugh at his clever use of song lyrics. "Now seriously, dude. What is up with the fast food addiction? I thought we were over the Famine crap…"

At this, Castiel looked down, a bit embarrassed. "He is gone, for the moment. I have, it seems, developed a taste for what you would call "junk food"."

"You know me better than that, Cas. I would NEVER call that greatness, junk! Now pass me a burger, we have some time to make up." Dean replied, smiling.

"I am sorr…" Castiel tried, before being interrupted by Dean.

He was obviously not in the mood for any more "chick flick" moments. "Shut up, Cas. Now toss me some food and help me get the stuff together."

Dean and Castiel packed up quickly, and were out of the room and in the Impala. Bobby had called earlier with another "Sammy sighting". They were heading to a small town in North Carolina where Sam had apparently been and beat up some realtor.

Dean started the car with Casiel sitting uncomfortably in the passenger's seat. Dean recognized Castiel's awkwardness and glanced at him questionably. "It's confining." Castiel replied simply.

Dean laughed and pulled out of the parking lot.


	4. Finding Gabe

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I just wanted to take a second and thank you all again for reading and reviewing. I try my hardest to get chapters out as fast as possible but being in high school makes one very busy. Gabriel and Sam will be meeting up next chapter, so stick with it! And I promise to have TONS of Dean and Castiel soon as well. I love them. Thanks always for reading and reviewing. Love, Norah.**

* * *

**Sam: **

Sam Winchester sat behind the wheel of the large blue van. He had been driving for over 24 hours straight and was practically a zombie. Sam had initially planned to pull an all-nighter and go straight to Gabriel. After all, he wouldn't need any sleep in his head. Would he? Maybe... Oh well. He would find out.

Anyway, Sam had realized that there was no way he could carry out this plan. It was really a wonder he hadn't fallen asleep driving already. And really, what would one more night of waiting to disappear forever hurt? "Nothing… Nothing, at all." Sam said to no one in particular. He was on the verge of being delusional.

He would sleep in the car. Although he was completely sure that Bobby had hunters on the lookout for his car, he didn't care. It didn't seem to matter. Besides, he didn't actually think Dean and Castiel would be able to track him down. Cas was too weak to "poof" Dean around with him, so they would take the Impala. Castiel wouldn't like that.

Sam pulled into an empty parking lot of what appeared to be a church. There was a small house across the road but no lights were on, so Sam assumed that no one would bother him. Churches are open to everyone, right? He fell asleep almost instantly after he turned off the car.

* * *

**Tom Hatley:**

Tom Hatley, a middle aged hunter, looked out the window of his small, North Carolina farmhouse. He lived in front a church, but there were not many cars on this road. He saw deer outside often.

As he peered past the curtains of his kitchen window, his eyes were met with a surprise. What he saw was obviously not a deer. A large, blue van was parked at the church. At first glance Tom thought it had been abandoned, but with a closer look, he realized that there was a sleeping young man in the driver's seat.

The man was in his mid 20's or early 30's and Tom immediately thought of Bobby Singer. Bobby, an old friend, had called him several days earlier and told him to look out for this kid. Tom picked up the phone to call Bobby.

Even in these early hours, Bobby picked up. "Bobby, this is Tom. We've got one hell of a coincidence here…"

* * *

**Dean and Castiel: **

Dean and Castiel were in the car for only an hour when Bobby called. Dean's phone had been tossed in the passenger's side floor and Castiel jumped a bit at Dean's hard rock ring tone. Castiel stared at the phone while it rang for several seconds.

"Hey, Cas. You gonna get that?!" Dean snapped at Castiel.

"Hello?" Castiel answered, awkwardly.

"Speak up, boy. Who is this? Dean!?" Bobby Singer spoke so loudly into the phone that Dean could clearly hear him.

Castiel stared at the phone with a shocked expression. Bobby was a "father figure" to all the boys, even Cas. He seemed a bit intimidated. "Answer him, man!" Dean said quickly, not wanting to anger Bobby.

"This is not Dean. This is Castiel." Castiel spoke loudly now, but in a strangely shaky voice compared to his normal, confident tone.

Dean could still make out Bobby telling Cas about a promising lead on Sammy. "Thank goodness." He thought. It was too frustrating not knowing where they were headed next.

Castiel hung up the phone and told Dean the details of where Sam had been seen.

"He's sleeping in the freakin' van?!" Dean exclaimed, "He must really be in a hurry. Where ya think he's going, Cas?"

Castiel took a long breath before answering. "I am actually quite sure of where he's going. Dean, I do not wish to worry you, but I believe Sam may be headed for Gabriel."

Dean stared at him, slack jawed. "Gabriel… the trick… I mean angel? Why the hell would he even be here?"

"He is… laying low. He does not wish to be involved with the current events of heaven and hell. I believe he may have been here for at least several weeks."

Dean eyed Castiel warily. "How long have you known this crap, Cas?" Dean asked, accusation clear in his voice.

Castiel answered with confidence. "I have sensed that there was something powerful around, but I ignored it. We must have just recently gotten close enough in proximity to Gabriel for me to clearly recognize him."

"Well, what's gonna happen when Sam finds him? I mean, what on earth could he want?" Dean asked, quickly.

"Probably nothing on earth…" Castiel replied. "I am confident that Sam is requesting the use of Gabriel's powers. I have yet to think of a logical reason that he would do this."

"Well Gabe will never go for that, will he?" Dean asked.

"Gabe?" Castiel asked, curiously.

"What? You angels have really weird names…" Dean answered, defensively. "Now, where is Gabriel. We should beat Sammy there." Dean said, changing the subject.

"Dean…" Castiel started, nervously. "I believe Sam is already there. We are too late."

* * *

**Gabriel: **

Gabriel sat, bored, on the couch in his tiny apartment. It was his last day in North Carolina and he was feeling pretty bummed. It was nearly 12:30 when his moping was interrupted by a mysterious knock on the door. "This cannot be good." He thought, as he walked towards the door.

Gabriel opened the door to see the tall figure of Sam Winchester looming over him. His first thought was to simply "poof" away, since he was an archangel and could totally do that, but Sam looked beyond desperate. In fact, he looked downright terrible. Before Gabriel had time to react, Sam rushed into the apartment.

"Come in?" Gabriel said, still oblivious to what the Winchester could want and how he had found him.

Sam, who was obviously not well rested, circled the room for a moment before taking a seat on the couch. He turned to face Gabriel. "I need your help."

Gabriel started to answer with a quick no, but Sam continued talking.

"You need to trap me inside my own mind. Now don't even say that you can't do it, because I know you can. And this is no trouble for you so don…."

Gabriel finally jumped in and interrupted Sam. "Whoa! Sammy boy… slow down. Let's start at the beginning here. Now where's Dean and his boyfriend?"

Sam ignored his "clever" comment and attempted to keep explaining himself. "You trapped us in TV Land easily and I know that you co…."

"Sam!" Gabriel interrupted again, yelling this time. "Now if you want even the slimmest, tinniest, most teeny chance of me helping you, you're gonna have to slow down and start at the beginning." Sam drew a long, exasperated breath.

"Fine." He said, and began slowly telling Gabriel how he had come to be there.


	5. Too Late

**Author's Note: Hello! I promised I'd have this out, and here it is! Enjoy and please review. It helps more than you know! Oh, and I've totally left this at a cliffhanger, so expect more soon! Love always, Norah.**

* * *

**Dean and Castiel:**

"What the hell are we doing cruising around then?!" Dean exclaimed, pressing the gas dramatically. Suddenly, Dean eyed Castiel curiously.

"Hey man, I know you're running low on heaven's pixie dust, but could you maybe zap us there? I mean… it's faster." Dean asked cautiously.

Castiel looked down, thinking. "It is possible. Although, I could not predict the effects using that much power would have on me. Transporting someone for me, now, is difficult. I faired decently after going to the past, but I have even less power now. The results are unpredictable. I understand this is important. So… are you ready to pull over and go now?" Castiel asked, placing his hand on Dean's shoulder.

Dean looked at Castiel blankly, and then spoke simply. "We're driving."

Castiel looked at Dean in confusion. "Why? Only a moment ago, you had this idea. It is a good one. My mode of transportation is more time efficient."

"Yea, but anything could happen if you do this. Sammy…" Dean paused and cleared his throat gruffly, "Who knows what's happened to Sam. And this was his choice. He's probably, uh, hurt or something already."

"But," Castiel started to argue.

Dean stopped him. "No, Cas. If something did happen to Sam I can't lose you too. Not both of you. And definitely not like this. Saving a little time isn't worth… well, you dying or getting taken by heaven or whatever. So we're driving."

Castiel did not completely understand Dean's decision, but he did not continue arguing.

"Now…" Dean said, interrupting Castiel's thoughts. "Can you use your angel mojo and tell me where to go?"

Castiel closed his eyes, trying to feel the power of his brother in the air. "Yes. I believe I can lead you to Gabriel. "It should not take long. An hour perhaps."

"I can make that 30 minutes." Dean said, pressing further on the gas.

* * *

**Sam and Gabriel: **

"So now I'm here…" Sam said, just finishing explaining everything to the angel.

Gabriel stared at Sam Winchester in shock. "Let me get this straight, you are asking… like nicely asking me, to trap you inside your own mind. If I didn't know better I would swear you were possessed by something."

Sam groaned at Gabriel's unwillingness to understand what he wanted. "Why do you need to know all these details? It's important! That should be enough."

"Bucko, I hate to tell you this, but we're not exactly best pals. I don't need, or even want, to help you. Besides, your silly plan is flawed. Lucifer can still find you, even in your mind. He comes to you in dreams… why couldn't he crash in your brain for a while?"

Sam paused. He had already thought this over. Gabriel still didn't understand why he needed to do this. "Yea man, just listen. I know that Lucifer can still get to me… can make me say yes, whatever. I know that. But would this not at least buy some time?"

"Time for what exactly?" Gabriel asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Time for Dean and Castiel to fix this mess. Besides, I'm only getting in their way now. They'd work better without me attracting freakin' demons everywhere we go. They know it, and I know it. But Dean's stubborn. Stubborn as hell. You know that. He won't do what's best for himself if it means hurting me, or anyone he cares about. That's why I'm doing this, so he doesn't have to. Come on Gabriel… This is my last chance to do something helpful. I know you're not rooting for Hell. I can tell. You're just not that kinda guy. So help me out here." Sam finished, looking pleadingly at Gabriel. He was on the verge of begging.

"Sammy, sammy, sammy…" Gabriel muttered, shaking his head. "As sad as your little sob stories are, there is still no reason for me to do this. I don't care who wins, I just want out of it. Have I not made that clear?"

Sam looked down before replying. "That's not true. I know it. Only the bad guys "don't care" and you're not a villain. No matter how hard you try to act like you are, you're not. You haven't been too helpful to anyone so far, so why don't you take this chance to change that. You could save the world here, Gabriel."

"Even if I maybe, possibly do agree to this stupid plan… where are YOU going to go? I mean your body, not the part of you that's in your own mind. We can't just leave it lying around." Gabriel said, slowly.

"I have actually thought that out. I've, uh, made arrangements." Sam said, avoiding details.

"You know this is the dumbest plan on the history of like, everything, right?" Gabriel said.

"Yea… but desperate times, dude. Any attempt at avoiding helping Lucifer is worth it." Sam said, still trying to convince Gabriel.

"Gabriel, I need your help. You know I'd ask Cas if he could do this, but he can't. This won't hurt you at all. You do this and then disappear and live in peace until all this crap is over. It's not like…"

"Ok, enough!" Gabriel shouted, interrupting Sam. "Fine, fine… I'll do it. Just quit with the begging. I'm not even sure how this is gonna work. But, I guess, uh, are you ready now?"

Sam answered confidently. "Just do it before I change my mind. Wait… How long do you think I'll be… in there?"

"Could be a week, could be a year. I'm not sticking around to find out. But where you want me to zap your body?" Gabriel asked, trying to hurry and get this over with.

"Bobby Singer's house. Can you find that?" Sam answered.

Gabriel stepped back, staring at Sam. "Dude. I'm an archangel. Yea, I can find that."

"Well just poof me there, tell Bobby what happened, and you're done."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… I'm not telling anyone anything." Gabriel began to argue.

"Just leave a note or something. Now come on! The world's ending here…" Sam said, rushing Gabriel.

"Fine. But just a warning; I don't know what you're gonna see in there. I mean all your nightmares, your scary thoughts, the "what ifs" you think about everyday… those aren't just gonna be thoughts. They'll be your reality. Now are you still sure you want to do this?" Gabriel said, eyeing Sam intensely.

"Do it, Gabriel. And… uh, thanks. I owe you." Sam said, almost sadly.

"Here goes nothing…" Gabriel said, placing his hand on Sam's forehead. He closed his eyes and suddenly Sam's body fell to the ground. Gabriel reached down, touched his shoulder, and disappeared.

* * *

**Sam:**

Sam Winchester woke up slowly. As he came to, he began to feel more and more anger towards Gabriel. He should've known that the stupid angel wouldn't agree to it. Of course he'd just knock him out and leave Sam to die somewhere. Typical angels. Dean was right... they were all dicks.

As Sam cursed Gabriel he slowly got to his feet, looking wide-eyed at his surroundings. He slowly realized that he had no idea where he was. The world he saw was unlike anything that could've been real.

"Holy…" Sam muttered. Gabriel had done it. Sam Winchester was looking at the inside his own mind. And he was trapped here.

He walked slowly forward through the evanescent mist that covered the ground of the strangest place he'd ever seen. His mind was one freaky place.


	6. Finally

**Author's Note: I realize it's been forever since I updated and I'm not going to make excuses. I'm sorry! I'll be sure to get these chapters out faster from now on. Honest! Sorry if this one drags a bit. It's a little like a set-up chapter. Not much happens here, but it's necessary so that a lot can happen later. Thanks always for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Gabriel: **

Gabriel arrived back in his apartment just as Dean and Castiel pulled into the parking lot. Bobby had been surprisingly understanding about everything, even to the point of seeming to already know about Sam's plan.

Gabriel was back only a few minutes after leaving. Sam's body was now being kept in Bobby's new and improved safe room, which he claimed could ward off pretty much anything.

Gabriel was a bit worn after his strong use of power, so he sat on the couch lazily. After only 6 minutes of peace, the angel heard a loud knocking on his door. He walked slowly to get it, but he wasn't quick enough.

His door suddenly shuddered and then fell heavily towards him. Dean Winchester stood glaring at him. He stepped over the door, followed by Castiel, into the apartment. Gabriel simply rolled his eyes. This was what he got for helping Sam Winchester.

* * *

**Dean, Castiel, and Gabriel:**

"Where is he?!" Dean said loudly, stepping towards Gabriel.

"Who?" Gabriel asked, making a show of faking innocence.

Castiel spoke now, anger showing on his normally calm face. "We know that Sam Winchester has been here. Do not try to play… dumb." Castiel finished tentatively, glancing towards Dean to be sure he was using the human expression correctly.

Dean nodded slightly, then looked back to Gabriel, who slowly replied to Castiel. "Alright, let's all take a chill pill here. Yea, little Sammy came here. He needed some help so I, for some ridiculous reason, helped him. Trust me, I already regret it."

"What did you do?" Dean asked, worry already filling his face.

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. "Now listen, normally I would just leave. Poof away, never to give you an answer, but I like you. You've been dealt a crappy hand and I feel like, at the least, you deserve some answers."

"Get on with it." Castiel interrupted, unexpectedly.

"Ok, ok, jeez!" Gabriel said, looking at Castiel. "Sammy came to me asking if I could…" Gabriel paused now, thinking of the correct way to explain the situation. "He came asking for me to well… trap him. But he's, uh, fine. Yea, just fine."

"If he's so 'fine'," Dean said, adding dramatic air quotes, "then where the hell is he?"

"Now first off, don't you guys go blaming me for all this. He's the one who asked _me _for help. I'm basically an innocent bystander here." Gabriel rambled, attempting to cover his own back.

"Spit it out." Castiel said darkly, glancing toward Dean again.

Gabriel raised both hands as if to tell him to back off. "He's trapped inside his own mind, okay? You happy now?" He finished, exasperated.

"Excuse me?" Dean questioned, raising an eyebrow. "He's stuck inside where now?"

Gabriel explained slowly. "His body is at Bobby Singer's house, but Sammy boy's not controlling it. He's inside his own head. He's wandering around in there. Stuck."

Dean suddenly acted in a completely unexpected way. Instead of immediately screaming at Gabriel he circled back to the couch, sat down, and placed his head in his hands. He stayed this way, silent, for several minutes before Castiel ventured to speak to him.

"Dean… are you, okay?" He asked, quietly.

Dean completely disregarded Castiel, and looked straight to Gabriel. "How do I get him out?" He asked, finally.

"You don't." Gabriel replied, almost sadly.

At this, Dean lost his temper. His patience ran out and he was off the couch and running towards Gabriel with the sole intention of hitting him.

Castiel recognized this and jumped in front of Dean. He spoke quickly, his hand on Dean's chest, preventing him from moving forward. "Dean, listen to me. You must control yourself. Gabriel is an archangel. Hitting him will only bring certain harm to you. There is a way to get Sam, and I promise you, we will find it."

Castiel's voice was steady and reassuring and slowly, Dean began to calm down. He stepped out of Castiel's reach and turned slowly to face Gabriel.

Gabriel looked almost amused. "You done?" He asked Dean, almost sneering.

"Can it." Dean replied, gruffly. "Now tell me how I get my brother back."

Gabriel took a long, shuddering breath before speaking. "It won't be easy. Unless Sam makes the choice to leave, he's not going anywhere. I can't just poof him out. He's there willingly. And honestly, why should we get him out? It is a pretty good way of keeping Lucifer away. I'm surprised Sam came up with it."

Dean shook his head. "I'm not. Always with the self sacrifice." He mumbled to himself.

Castiel, who had been standing to the side, spoke up now. "Send me in." He said shortly to Gabriel.

Gabriel stared at Castiel. "You cannot be serious, Castiel. I knew you were a weirdo, but you're not stupid. You know if you go into that screwy kid's head, you'll probably never come out. Besides, how the hell are you gonna convince him to leave? I think there's only one person who could _maybe _do that." Gabriel was looking at Dean now.

Dean perked up. "Yea, if anyone's going into Sammy's head, it's me!" He said, somewhat proudly.

"No." Castiel said quickly. "Dean. It is not a wise decision to send you in. You are much too… needed, here." He finished, rather awkwardly.

"Listen Cas, I'm flattered and everything, but Sam wouldn't leave if you asked him too. We both know that."

Castiel suddenly, and very humanly, rolled his eyes. Dean fought back laughter.

"So send me in!" Dean said, throwing his arms in the air dramatically.

Castiel stepped forward, exactly mimicked Dean's actions, and glared at Gabriel. "Me too." He said, firmly.

Gabriel knew a lost cause when he saw one. There was no point arguing with these two. "Boys," He said, exasperated. "It's a good thing God's missing in action, cause he'd sure be pissed about this. I assume your, uh, bodies should go to Bobby?"

Dean glanced quickly at Castiel before answering. "That seems good enough. Bobby'll figure something out. And Gabe…" He said, almost fondly. "Thanks, for, uh, everything." Dean finished awkwardly.

Gabriel smiled slightly before raising his fingers and snapping them dramatically. Dean and Castiel's bodies fell limply to the ground. This had been one hell of a day.


	7. Bon Jovi Flowers

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter. I realize it's been a while, but I hope you enjoy. This chapter does get pretty trippy. Ok, it gets really freakin' trippy. Maybe because Sam's a little insane, or maybe because I'm a little insane… Probably both! Thanks always for reading and reviewing. Love always, Norah Rose.**

**Sam: **

Sam Winchester flipped channels on the remote until he found VH1 Classic. "Ah," He said, leaning back into his recliner. This channel made him think of Dean.

"Sam… Are you hungry? What kind of dressing do you want on your salad?" A woman's voice came from another room.

Sam thought for a moment before answering. "Just ranch is fine. Call me when it's ready."

"Ok." The woman answered, cheerily.

"Thanks." Sam said, glancing towards the other room. "And Jess… I love you." He finished.

"I love you too, babe." Jessica Moore said, obviously smiling in the kitchen.

Sam looked back to the TV, grinning. This was what marrying Jess would've been like. He had been living in his own mind for only a few moments, but to him it was 2 years. It was the happiest he'd ever been.

The fact that nothing was actually reality honestly had occurred to him when he had first seen Jess and the small, completely perfect home that was waiting for him, but it didn't matter that none of this was real. It didn't matter at all that this was, literally, all in his head.

He didn't worry about that Apocalypse anymore, he had stopped thinking about Lucifer a year ago, and Sam Winchester was living happily ever after. He gazed out the window, the colorful grass blowing in the nonexistent breeze. This was the life.

**Dean: **

Dean woke up slowly. As his vision cleared he realized that he was lying on the ground of what appeared to be... rainbow grass? Confused, he got to his feet slowly, still feeling woozy.

After a moment, Dean remembered where he was. His first thought was of Castiel. He looked around frantically, but saw no sign of the angel.

"Cas!" He yelled, loudly. His voice didn't echo, although normally, it would have. Dean turned in a circle slowly, taking in his surroundings. As he stepped on the grass, the imprint of his footsteps turned various colors.

Dean looked at the ground for a moment. "Sam _would_ imagine about rainbow grass," Dean mumbled, laughing a bit to himself. He looked up towards the sky.

There were, what looked like, giant books stacked high into the sky. They appeared to go on forever. Fruit trees as tall as buildings rose above him and beer bottles scattered the ground. The sky was constantly moving, changing colors, and flashing. It was as if any time Sam had a thought or and idea, the sky changed its appearance.

Knives and guns stuck out of the grass at random angles. They looked oddly like wheat in a field, balancing on their tips. They swayed gently, as if a breeze was blowing, but Dean couldn't feel one. A thin, almost sparkling mist hung low on the ground, gently enveloping everything.

Portable laptops also sat at random places on the ground. They were all opened, as if Sam had recently been doing research. They were opened to various sites, but when Dean looked down to read the pages, they turned to a language that he couldn't understand; a language that Dean didn't even think existed.

Dean looked around in awe as he discovered more and more impossible things. He took several steps forward, deciding that he had to find Castiel. He stopped and glanced at the now black sky for a moment, before reaching down for a shotgun. "Better safe than sorry," He said quietly, and walked on.

**Castiel: **

Castiel opened his eyes suddenly, a loud sound bringing him out of his daze. He turned his head and saw a small flower beside him. The flower seemed to emitting some sort of noise and Castiel leaned closer to the petals.

The unmistakable sound of Bon Jovi's voice rang into his ear. The angel knew the singer immediately. He had definitely been around the Winchester's too long.

Castiel stood slowly to his feet. He suddenly heard a mysterious echo that sounded like Dean. "Cas!" Dean's voice screamed, in a muffled sort of sound.

"Dean?!" Castiel yelled, in reply to the voice. His voice didn't echo at all. He found this extremely odd, but shrugged it off. "Dean!" He yelled again. But there was no reply.

With the exception of Bon Jovi's voice, Castiel heard nothing. Dean's muffled yell had not repeated itself again. Castiel took a moment to look at the ground. All around him were mismatched items scattered on the ground. He recognized some of them.

Next to his left foot lay the gold amulet that Dean wore as a necklace. There were books everywhere, as well as items commonly used in hunting. Salt also scattered the ground, as if Sam was constantly on the watch for demons.

He peered into the sky and was surprised to see rain high above his head. Oddly, the rain couldn't seem to quite reach the ground, instead stopping some 50 feet over Castiel's head. As he watched, the ground flashed from blue to yellow. It certainly was peculiar.

Castiel looked around once more and decided that he wouldn't find Dean near here. With a flutter of wings he was gone, off to look for Dean or Sam Winchester.

**Dean and Castiel:**

Dean walked slowly, but steadily, forward. He gazed around in amazement with every step and yelled for Cas as he walked. He suddenly heard the familiar flutter of wings and turned to see Castiel.

"Holy crap, Cas. I could almost freakin' hug you right now." Dean said, stepping towards the angel.

Castiel took a hesitant step towards Dean, opening his arms awkwardly.

Dean laughed out loud. "Almost, Cas. It's ok, we don't need to hug. Neither of us are big on the chick flick moments."

Castiel put his arms down and stepped back, thankfully. "Where is Sam?" He asked.

Dean ran his hand through his short hair. "I was gonna ask you the same thing. I don't know. It's his own insane mind and he's missing in action. How does that even happen?"

"I do not know. I am not familiar with the rules of this… world. It is very different from what I am used to." Castiel said.

"Yea, you're not the only one out of place here." Dean said, gesturing towards the staircase of steps behind them.

"What do we do?" Castiel asked, looking at Dean for guidance.

"You're the angel here, man. I don't know. Can't you poof around and find him the same way you found me?" Dean asked, as if Castiel should have thought of this earlier.

Castiel eyed Dean in a rather rude way. "Of course, I have tried that, Dean. I am not ignorant."

Dean face showed a mixture of confusion and humor at Castiel's defensive response. "Chill pill, buddy. I was just making sure. Well, I guess we keep walking. There's a little house or something up there." He said, pointing to the distance, where a small house was barely visible. "I say we head that way."

Castiel turned to look at the house. "Let's do this." He said, in a determined voice.

Dean chuckled deeply to himself. "Cas, you're getting so… Winchester." He said, happily.

"I was not aware that a person could be 'Winchester'." He said, sporting his usual head turn.

"I just mean, you're obviously picking up sayings and things from Sammy and me. It's pretty cool really. Weird as hell, but cool." Dean said, a small smile on his face.

"I'm glad that I please you." Castiel said simply, turning to walk towards the house.

Dean followed behind him, choosing to completely ignore how dirty that statement sounded to him.


	8. Shock

**Author's Note: Oh, it has been a while. Uh, sorry about that. Really, I am! All these crazy ideas have just been floating around my head so I've typed them and I forgot about this story and… and… and. That's all I've got. Thanks always for reading and reviewing. Love always, Norah!**

**

* * *

**

**Dean and Castiel:**

Dean and Castiel walked in silence for the majority of their trip to the small house on the hill. They both took in their surroundings in shock and amazement, and honestly, neither of them really knew how to break the silence. Suddenly Dean spoke up.

"So this… all of this, it's weird as hell. Like, weird even for a rebel angel and a washed-up hunter, right? Cause' I'm getting that vibe right about now." He said, looking up specifically at the group of greyhounds that flew, with huge black wings, over his head.

Castiel nodded slightly in agreement. "This is exceptionally odd."

"Has this happened before? Surely somewhere…" Dean trailed off.

"Never. Going into dreams is one thing, but someone's mind; that's just crazy." Castiel said, simply.

"Huh, well. Okay then." Dean finished, looking forward to the house where they were headed.

Dean and Castiel walked silently for the rest of the time.

* * *

**Sam:**

Sam sat cheerfully next to Jessica. They were eating their salads. He grinned at her before taking another bite. They ate quietly. But it was not an awkward silence. There was simply nothing that needed to be said. The quiet was comfortable.

Sam glanced back up at Jess and couldn't help but smile. He had now forgotten completely about all his "real" problems. He had even, for the most part, forgotten about his brother.

Every once in a while, something specific would bring thoughts of Dean rushing into Sam's head, but this was a rare occasion. Besides, thoughts of Dean seemed to go hand-in-hand with thoughts of the Apocalypse, and Sam had a hard time with those.

He had been fine without Dean in college, and Sam was fine without Dean now.

It helped that his thoughts were extremely clouded. In fact, Sam Winchester had a hard time thinking of anything other than television, food, perks of his "life" here, and Jess.

At first, Sam had been uncomfortable with this fact. Something wasn't right. Any time Sam mentioned Dean or his family, Jess seemed to change the subject. Sometimes, she completely ignored his Dean related comments.

Sam was smart. Something was definitely weird. Jess had always known about his brother. Sure, she didn't know specifics, but she knew he was around. This Jess, didn't acknowledge that fact at all.

He knew that, especially here, he should be able to think of anything, but over time, Sam accepted his life.

After all, he was happy.

* * *

**Gabriel:**

Gabriel sat comfortably on the bed of his small motel. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be in deep concentration.

Sam Winchester was strong. Gabriel had been working to keep his thoughts off of Dean and the Apocalypse for what seemed like years, although in his real time, he supposed, it had only been a few days.

Even after all of the archangel's hard work, Sam sometimes thought of Dean. This was too dangerous.

Sam's plan had been a good one. Hell, hiding out inside his own mind… it was a brilliant plan, but it was flawed.

Gabriel knew those Winchester boys. He knew that Sam couldn't stay away from Dean for more than a week without regretting his decision. This was why Gabriel had decided to interfere.

He wouldn't do much, no. He probably wouldn't need to. Gabriel would just do enough to keep Sam's mind on his current surroundings. Gabriel would only try to keep Sam happy.

As Gabriel closed his eyes again, he saw Dean and Castiel approaching the small house where Sam was. All his hard work was about to be ruined. And he had helped by letting them in!

Gabriel shook his head slightly. Having a soft spot for Dean Winchester was not a good thing. He couldn't help it, Dean was cool.

Gabriel stood and walked out of the room. He needed a drink. Besides, whatever was about to go down in Sam Winchester's mind was probably not going to be pretty.

And when Dean found out what Gabriel was doing… he was gonna be pissed.

* * *

**Dean and Castiel:**

After walking for what seemed like hours, Dean and Castiel arrived in front of the house. The two men stared at the house for several moments before Dean stepped forward to knock on the door.

Castiel hesitated behind him. "Dean… Wait."

Dean turned to look at Castiel. "Is there a problem?" He asked, sharply.

Castiel shook his head and looked down. "I have a bad feeling about this." He mumbled.

Dean only turned back around and rapped loudly on the front door several times. Dean and Castiel waited for an answer in silence. They were both holding their breath.

A lovely blond woman rushed to open the door. "Hello!" She said, cheerfully. "Can I help you boys with something?" She asked, still smiling.

Dean's eyes widened with realization. "Jess?" He asked, his voice loud with shock.

Jessica smiled back at him. "Yes, and you are?"

Dean stepped towards the woman a bit. "It's me, Dean. I, uh, I'm Sam's brother."

Jessica still looked confused. "Well don't be silly! Sam doesn't have a brother!" She said, still wearing that huge grin.

Dean glanced at Castiel. Both men were confused. Castiel spoke up now.

"Sorry about… my friend, here…" Castiel gestured at Dean. "He's had a rough day. We're, uh… detectives. We need to speak to Sam Winchester for a moment about a case. Is he here?" Castiel finished, confidently.

"Oh! He isn't in any trouble is he?" Jess asked quickly, opening the door for them.

"None at all. Just some routine questions." Castiel said, quickly.

"Come in, come in…" Jessica mumbled. "Sam!" She called into the other room. "You boys like anything to drink?" Jess asked, turning back to Dean and Castiel.

"We're fine." Dean answered for both of them.

Jessica turned and left the room. "He'll be here in a moment." She said, referring to Sam. Then she left the room quickly, leaving Dean and Castiel alone in the entryway.

Dean immediately turned to Castiel. "What the hell was all that, Cas?" He asked.

Castiel merely shrugged. "When humans want something… they lie. Correct?" He said, peering at Dean.

Dean smiled a bit, remembering old times. "Yeah, yeah they do."

Sam Winchester suddenly walked into the room. His jaw dropped in shock.


End file.
